Vardan Oskanian considers that March 1 political prisoners should be
released for rehabilitation of Armenia’s political field

YEREVAN, MARCH 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA authorities should undertake
steps to rehabilitate country’s political field, and the press should
be "opened" completely for that purpose, especially the electronic
press, the political prisoners should be released, people should be
given more freedoms to express their views, Vardan Oskanian, the Board
Chairman of the Civilitas Foundation, the former Foreign Minister,
stated in his interview to Public Television’s program 25 Minutes. By
saying "to release the political prisoners" he meant people being under
arrest on cases of mass disorders of March 1, 2008 in Yerevan.

V. Oskanian emphasized that politics is the basis of everything,
therefore as long as no correct solution is given to Armenia’s
political problems, the political sphere will not rehabilitate, no
correct counterbalances will be established. In particular, the court
will become free and independent if only people are not afraid and do
not wait for orders from above. "We should focus on our political
problems, rehabilitate our political sphere, create proper conditions
for establishing correct counterbalances through fair elections,"
Vardan Oskanian said expressing satisfaction with first RA President
Levon Ter-Petrosian’s position expressed at the 2009 March 1 rally.
"Really the right way is establishment of civil society or its
development, establishment of a sound ideological opposition, I will
sign under these words," the former Foreign Minister said.

Touching upon L. Ter-Petrosian’s statement that "we should remove the
words "revolt", "revolution", "attack" from our lexicon," V. Oskanian
said that the abrupt change in first President’s position should be
still tested, and the authorities should respond with more
responsibility to L. Ter-Petrosian’s step, should extend a hand, take
mutual steps. "There is just no excuse when 17 years after getting
independent we are not able to solve our most elementary problems,
continue living as we live, do not have the most elementary freedoms,
these five years after the elections should be a period of democracy,
stipulation of freedoms, establishment of institutions," Vardan
Oskanian said.

The former Foreign Minister considers that Armenia should treat
seriously the reports on Armenia by the U.S. State Department, Council
of Europe, other international structures. "We should attach much
importance to them, we should try to really understand what they want
to say, we should work with them and, why not, correct those problems."
According to V. Oskanian, true, the Council of Europe did not adopt a
resolution on Armenia, but the fact that the issue is on that
structure’s agenda is very harmful: "It would be better if there were a
decision, we experienced its consequences and cleaned ourselves, having
no decision and remaining on the agenda is more harmful for Armenia,"
the former Foreign Minister considers adding: "the outer world measures
our democracy level, the events taking place in Armenia, human rights,
economic merits, shortcomings by the Council of Europe, State
Department, these reports. They are independent of us, and it has an
impact on our home political problems, economy."

V. Oskanian did not wish to comment upon the authorities’ decision to
appoint 85-year-old Charles Aznavour Ambassador of Armenia in
Switzerland: "I would not like to comment, as Charles Aznavour is on
the other side, whom the whole our nation loves and respects very
much," he said.